A history of the Open University of Great Britain, its role as a leader in nontraditional education, and its influence on programs in the United States and elsewhere. (LS)

An analysis of the underlying concepts and unique contributions of learning contracts to higher education.

Eight guidelines for contract learning-type programs are presented under the headings (1) supplying rationales, (2) focusing on the faculty, (3) assessing faculty performance, (4) assessing student readiness, (5) assessing the costs, (6) students as researchers, (7) how much academic credit, and (8) agents of change. Focus is on the faculty as…

The Institute for Personal and Career Development of Central Michigan University offers external degree programs for adult learners using nontraditional study. The competency-based programs described include credit given for the educational background and relevant career-life experiences of registered nurses in Michigan. (Author/LBH)

Los Angeles' International College is a small, private, unaccredited college with 174 students and without classrooms, library or student center. Its chief assets are the intellects and worldwide reputations of many of its tutors who work closely with student apprentices. (LBH)

The development of a student-centered approach to learning to study is described, and its strengths and weaknesses are noted. Two study skills workshops run by the Open University are also outlined, along with practical tips on how to make them work. (LBH)

In the last decade, the questioning of traditional teaching and learning methods and instructional systems and the search for more effective alternatives have gained momentum. Recent trends are grouped and discussed, including individualized instruction, multimedia instruction, peer teaching, student evaluations of teachers, teacher training…

The initiation of an individualized baccalaureate degree at the General College of the University of Minnesota led to an increased burden on the faculty. A study identifying how much "real time" faculty spend in advising, with whom, and on what kinds of activities is presented. (JMF)

Six selected nontraditional approaches to curriculum at the University of Minnesota, each leading to a baccalaureate degree, are described. The programs are designed to provide flexibility to students enrolled in the university or to extend a university education to people not otherwise served. Each involves individual student selection of work to…

In 1977, almost 60 percent of all Open University courses were using audio and visual media in combination: either sound broadcasting with visual materials or audio-vision with the sound distributed on cassette or discs. Research has shown that students prefer radio-vision to radio alone. It appears that future growth may be in the area of…

Examined are open learning systems in Australia, Canada, France, Federal Republic of Germany, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Poland, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, United Kingdom, and the United States. The implications of open-learning and its relation to nontraditional student and continuing education, educational and social…

This is the introduction and summary of a series of six papers discussing major issues about student assessment for the University of Wisconsin Extended Degree Program, a program designed to give academic credit for college level learning derived from experiences outside the scope of formal classes. A distinction is made between prior learning,…

The Union for Experimenting Colleges and Universities (UECU) was developed as an alternative form of postsecondary education, fostering the development of university without walls programs at a number of institutions and initiating its own undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Its commitment is to personalized, self-directed, lifelong…

How do colleges and universities adapt programs of instruction to the changing times? In particular, do teachers receive appropriate recognition from their institutions for their leadership in these matters? The central aim of National Project III, a project of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, is to elevate the importance…

Project-based learning for students at the Open University, Great Britain, was studied through interviewing and the administration of a questionnaire. Group discussion interviews were conducted with approximately 200 students and individual interviews with about 50 part-time tutors who were responsible for the direct face-to-face contact arranged…